With a win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night, the Boston Celtics advanced to 2-1 in preseason play.

While stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were resting, C’s fans were able to see starters Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, and Derrick White play at Wells Fargo Center. They contributed to Boston’s thrilling 112-101 victory over their Eastern Conference foe.

Payton Pritchard (17 points) was the C’s best scorer once again. Sam Hauser and Svi Mykhailiuk each scored 15 points, while White, Porzingis, and Holiday each scored 11.

Off the bench, Kelly Oubre Jr. led the Sixers with 18 points. Tyrese Maxey came in second with 17 points in the losing effort.

Next Tuesday, the Celtics will play the New York Knicks in their final preseason game. Before we move on, here are our key takeaways from Wednesday’s game.

Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis get a second chance

After making their Celtics debuts on Sunday, the coveted offseason recruits were given the day off on Monday. They returned to action in Philadelphia and made an immediate impact.

In the first half, Holiday and Porzingis led the C’s with 11 points each. Holiday was far more efficient than in his preseason opening, making five of his seven shot attempts, including one 3-pointer. He also had two rebounds and two assists.

Porzingis, who had 17 points in the preseason opener, got five of his points at the free throw line on Wednesday night. He was 2-for-2 from outside the arc and grabbed five rebounds before joining Holiday on the bench for the second half.

Even without Tatum and Brown, the Celtics appear intimidating on both ends of the court with Holiday and Porzingis in the lineup.

Pritchard’s preseason continues

Payton Pritchard, dubbed “Preseason P” by C’s play-by-play announcer Drew Carter on Wednesday night, is on fire.

In all three preseason games, the 25-year-old guard has led Boston in scoring. He scored 17 points on 7-of-15 shooting (3-9 3-PT) while dishing three assists and stealing.

It’s easy to exaggerate during the preseason, but Pritchard appears to be ready to reward his team for signing him to a four-year contract extension. He’ll be crucial off the bench in the upcoming season.

Derrick White is a member of the Top 100

Despite a strong 2022-23 season in which he garnered All-Defensive accolades, White was surprisingly omitted from ESPN’s Top 100 NBA player rankings. On Wednesday, he demonstrated why he belongs not only on the list, but in the top half of it.

White did a little bit of everything in the preseason game, like he did throughout last season and the playoffs for Boston. With a block on Tyrese Maxey and a 3-pointer on the other end, he soon demonstrated his two-way ability.

That was the first of White’s three first-half blocks. He finished with 11 points (4-8 FG) and four assists before sitting and allowing the second unit to finish the game.

With White and Holiday heading the backcourt going forward, the Celtics are in good hands.